The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1887-07-07
YANKTON INSANE ASYLUM.
Gov. Church and Examiner Harris
Make Report Upon the Yankt0n
Asylum Investigation.

-S-
They Find That the Trustees Unlaw-
fully Delegated Their Powers and
Duties to Secretary Colby.
BISMARCK, Special Telegram, July 1.-Gov
Church received and there was mAde public.
to-day the report Of Public Examiner G N.
Harris on the testimony taken by the COM
mission appointed to investigate the charges
made against the trustees Of the Yankton in
sane asylum. Mr.. Harris In his report frat
says that he fond no discrepancies in the
records and accounts Of the steward, IA
Potter. He then gets right down to the gist
Of the whole trouble by saying:
THEY ~EGA THEIR POWER
What has made the trouble and delay In this
investigasion was the manner sr, ana way o. to t,De
years. They have, during that time. overlooked
their duties as an advisory board and have as
s st,an.iot the ed duties pass d e. snpsr'n ssvsls' 70 q TN the am an
propriations. In some instances they have
kept no vouchers and in no case have they
farn,shed to the sud 1sor han n ait i tsn oea
of the several funds, thereby having no Clue
during the time they operated as to where and
now inc several FUNDS nave peer expendea; ana
their memory fails them, and as that was. In
mosS Eases, JUG JmtS lecoau ASpg ~ $-om - ,h.ir
raaorS. !" astin"ta tbair = doi = S.r,nr tina tYan
. raarr " = So clnh .ct noT as thair sacretarv and
business manager.
During the last two years the trustees have
taken ong OF Inc stewards cnarRe I9nas aggIe,
their secretary, Copoy. as treSsGrer: superll-
tendent Of construction and purchasing agent.
money was GraWn from tue sevs,aI iunus on
NED 70 ny MIN and the president OF tne
board as correct. Money was Drawn on
estimates py secretary CoDDy 70 Tue
a,n9uni % ,1Y".o r. 10, ohe ~iana,aon
simply claiming that the amount Of money was
drawn by him rs needed and iudiciously in
vested. Miiiams' VINO was pIeslaens on sne
did not know until after the report Of the board
was made to Gov. Pierce. Nov. 80. 1886. that
money had Deen drawn on estlnates ana 1has IL
nort. A deficiencv in the fuel account Of 60
300. SO was accounted for by. Mr.. Colby by say
ing That a. ne . haa 1, borrowed irom tho tuei Iuna 70
THE ToTAL SHORTAGE,
In all the funds handled by Colby I find b
Total shortage q o.41i.o3 !. IerritofiaI Analtor
r. "t Cobbvl p as most snS Of Them were mon The funds
hef oue msn e = The Sae law mai mal,es ! T. the Sntv Of
the steward to disburse the employees funds and
case are anV Of these vouchsrs supnosed
to reach the secretary Of the boards hands.
The law makes II me duty OF the sa y
tees to check SaJ nm mo and certify to the correctness
of the stewards monthly statements, and the
auditor has no authority whatever to pay voucn,
efs thaG are NOT Certlneu 70 IN tnis way: Anu
YET AuolGoI caldwell IN MS oea,lngs WIN EFT.
Colby during the past two years mas seen MT TO
~ to r ama = Ma.9 ro sSeW s1on anu ~ sh upe.s sawarai csna anu
ties. thus giving the Officers NO opportunity
whatever to have any check upon the money ex-
pended from those several funds. Caldwell is
the man who should have checked and refused
to recognize this manner and way OF doing pnsi-
ness.
+o Chow, ho,, cohhv pos ~, Tho tr,sstaes m
nointed sunerintendent Of construction ana
made treasurer OF the funds over which
they had assumed control. During the two
years for such services he received
rim. tn hia stora AND his nrivate husineea
-, .A' " "h' w. "n" ~" 4Af"so es
q examiners report tnen recltes Mr..
s J nts aetso+,ua m mo " = ~ +hs
funds and the expenditures from each. The
shortages msr;zsg . in each eps sn account n ,s are then as s tota1
of S5 17o E9
- F.
u,.,a aan.;ao.as tsa sonas - px.m,na,
- g D.-1tr -"
harris, doY. Cnurch mas issued MS maniIesIo.
min the duties Of the hoard Of trustees
80
superintendent steward, etc.:
The latter 81 by law shall keep an accurate &c,
which shall be open to the inspection of the
superintendent and board Of trustees.
Coy: Church then quotes the section of the
'a" 'i"o ploVlueo 'na'' n-.,